BY ROSE ADAMS
Palaces, statues, and sculptures
rose out of Coney Island
Beach as locals faced
off in the 29th annual Sand
Sculpting Contest on Saturday.
The artists set to work
off the Riegelmann Boardwalk
between W. 10th and
W. 12th streets on Aug. 17,
creating their gritty masterpieces,
including a statue of
an outstretched woman facedown
on the ground, which
won in the individual adult
category, and an intricate
castle decorated with flowers
and sand dye, which took
home best statue by a group
of adults.
For one sculptor, the highlight
of the event was watching
other participants carve
their creations.
“My favorite part was seeing
the competition,” said
John Sanders, a construction
worker and poet from
Bushwick who built a sand
diorama of the 7 train riding
past Queens’ Citi Field,
home of the New York Mets.
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Sanders has participated
in the contest for three consecutive
years, and despite
his auspicious surname, he
has yet to win a prize — although
the competition has
helped him hone his building
techniques.
“I use a trowel and a taper
knife,” he said, claiming
that the tools helped his
sculptures appear smoother
and more finished.
Sculptors may have spent
hours carving their sandy
creations, but the judges had
their work cut out for them,
too.
According to one of the
three judges, choosing winners
from the competition’s
70 contenders was no day at
the beach.
“It was very difficult because
people do such amazing
jobs,” said Alexandra
Silversmith, the executive
director of the Alliance for
Coney Island, which cohosted
the event with the
Brooklyn Community Services,
a nonprofit social services
provider. “We were
evaluating everything by
creativity, difficulty, and execution.
It’s actually a really
hard decision.”
Winners of the three categories
— family, adult group,
and individual — each took
home a $250 cash prize, Applebee’s
gift cards, and a gift
bag, while second place won
$100, and third place snagged
$50.
But for Silversmith, the
event was more about fun
than it was about winning.
“You see the families and
the groups that came out,
and especially the individuals
who put so much energy
into their sculptures,” she
said. “I love to see the dedication
and creativity.”
BEACH BUILDING: More than 200
contestants worked to build 70
sand sculptures at Coney Island’s
annual Sand Sculpting Contest.
Photos by Derrick Watterson
LION KING: Gilbert Ortega from New Jersey built a sculpture of a lion at
the 29th annual Sand Sculpting Contest.
Battle by the beach
Sand Sculpting Contest takes over Coney Island Beach
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